The May Challenge at Gecko Galz!

Hi Crafty Friends! This month our challenge theme on the Gecko Galz blog is "Garden of Dreams".  For my sample this month I chose to alter another of the unfinished wooden plaques that I purchased very inexpensively from Michael's.  This piece was very simple to create.  

I printed out two background papers from the Magnolia Blossoms paper collection covering the top two thirds of the piece with one and the bottom third with another.  I traced around the wooden plaque, cut the shape with scissors, applied with matte Mod Podge, and then sanded the edges smooth.  I rubbed some gesso onto the edges, then inked with vintage photo.  

I then printed out another paper from the same collection (the one with the black birdbath image).  I printed that paper smaller and square to act as a mat for my image.  Along the right hand side I used a stencil followed by ink sprays.  I didn't like the ink spray, it was too dark, so I rubbed clear embossing ink over the raised areas and embossed it in white which ended up looking great IRL.

I die cut a doily and placed it to the left of the image, and later used the other part of it under the flower cluster at top right.  After I placed the image on pop dots and adhered it, I added the resin birdbath by Prima.  Above the image I added a scrap piece of chipboard that was actually the top of a chipboard shuttered window that I'd cut off at some point using just the shuttered part on another project.  I hand painted the chipboard piece, but didn't like the colors so I sprayed over it with gold ink and I liked that look a lot better.  Below the image and to the right there was a blank space of pink paper that didn't look right.  I had planned to put flowers there, but then decided I wanted the flowers at the top instead, so I had this big pink space.  I ended up using a die cut trellis shape to fill in that area.  The dark green color of the trellis die shape was part of the printed paper that I hadn't used, so it blended in perfectly.  I had a scrap piece of a die cut flourish laying around that I'd cut for a previous project and hadn't used, so I stuck that under the image.  I added my flowers and some butterflies from Renea Bouquets and I was done.  Oh, actually not quite.  I thought I needed to bring in a little of the darker pink to the top of the piece so I rubbed some clear embossing ink on the top of the piece and sprinkled on some embossing powder in pale and hot pink and heated it.  I did the same thing along the left edge where the two patterned papers met to blend them a bit.

Whew! Now that I typed all that, it doesn't sound so simple, but really it was!

Anyway, I hope I have inspired you to join in our monthly challenge on the Gecko Galz blog.  We are accepting entries from May 1st - May 30th.  There is only one rule.  You need to use at least ONE product from Gecko Galz.  It can be one of the free products, stamps, collage images, or digital background papers.  The winner will receive a $25 Gecko Galz shopping spree!  We look forward to seeing your creations.  Please stop by the blog to see what the rest of the team has done with the  "Garden of Dreams" theme for May.  I've already seen them, and they are awesome!

Gecko Galz Products:

Magnolia Blossoms digital paper pack

Birds and Bees digital collage set

Other Products:

The gorgeous peachy pink glittered flowers by Recollections

Fine detail embossing powder in white by Recollections

Resin birdbath by Prima

Chipboard window topper by Gypsy Soul Lasercuts (cottage windows)

Glittered double layered Butterflies by Renea Bouquets

Stencil by Prima 

Sizzix thinlits Tim Holtz mixed media dies

Sizzix thinlits Tim Holtz doily die

Flourish die by Spellbinders shapeabilities "Positively Me" set